Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-05-10
The 2026 edition has been run. Next: Dante Festival, York 2027, Wednesday 12 to Friday 14 May 2027.
Dante Festival, YorkWednesday 13 -- Friday 15 May 2026. York Racecourse.
Quick answer for "where can I watch the Dante Festival 2026":
- Thursday 14 May (Dante Stakes Day): ITV1 free-to-air + ITVX live stream. The Dante Stakes itself runs at 16:05 BST -- the most-watched race of the festival.
- Wednesday 13 May (Musidora Day): Racing TV (Sky 426 / Virgin 535 / RacingTV.com web). Single-day pass £6.99 if you don't want a full subscription.
- Friday 15 May (Yorkshire Cup Day): Racing TV plus Sky Sports Racing for the headline race window (not confirmed until ITV publishes its schedule).
The shortest path to free coverage is Thursday 14 May on ITV1 / ITVX -- ITV1 is included in every Freeview / Sky / Virgin / Freesat package; ITVX is free with email registration on web, mobile and smart-TV apps. ITVX coverage is UK-only -- viewers outside the UK need either a UK VPN or one of the international alternatives covered below.
The cheapest path to all three days is the Racing TV single-day pass at £6.99 per day -- buy three (£20.97 total) and you have full HD coverage of all 21 races + replays + paddock walks + post-race interviews.
The full subscription path is Racing TV at £29.98/month -- justified if you watch flat racing more than 1-2 days per month across the year (the May to October flat calendar has roughly 80 racing days the channel covers in full).
This guide gives the per-platform breakdown with what's included on each, plus the international viewing options for Ireland (RTÉ + Racing TV), Australia (Sky Racing 1) and the US (FanDuel TV / Twin Spires).
For the full race-by-race timetable see our Dante Festival 2026 TV guide and for the race-day verdicts see our Dante Festival 2026 tips.
Where to watch the Dante Festival 2026 -- by platform
ITV1 / ITVX (Thursday 14 May only)
ITV1 is free-to-air via every UK digital TV provider (Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, Freesat, BT TV, Now TV pass-through). Coverage runs from approximately 13:30 BST to 17:30 BST on Thursday 14 May only -- ITV does not cover the supporting Wednesday or Friday cards.
ITVX (itv.com/watch) is ITV's live stream + on-demand platform. Free with email registration -- no subscription required. ITVX gives you:
- Live stream of Dante Stakes Day on desktop, mobile, smart TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV
- 30-day on-demand catch-up of every named race + post-race interviews
- HD quality on smart TVs and modern phones; 720p fallback on lower-bandwidth connections
- Geo-restricted to UK IPs only -- a UK VPN can extend access for travelling viewers
ITV4 also simulcasts when the ITV1 schedule has news / drama overlaps. The ITVX live stream automatically follows ITV1 → ITV4 to keep coverage continuous.
Racing TV (all three days)
Racing TV (racingtv.com) covers the full 21-race programme across all three days. Full HD, expert analysis, paddock walks, post-race interviews. Available via:
- Sky Channel 426 / Virgin Channel 535 as part of a sports add-on bundle (typically £15-20/month)
- RacingTV.com web stream -- £29.98/month direct subscription, or a single-day pass at £6.99
- Racing TV iOS / Android app -- same access tier as the web stream, included in the subscription
The single-day pass is the right play for a one-off Dante Festival viewer. The full subscription pays back if you watch more than 1-2 racing days per month across the year.
Sky Sports Racing (Wednesday + Friday only)
Sky Sports Racing (skysports.com/racing) carries selected coverage of the Wednesday Musidora Day and Friday Yorkshire Cup Day. Subscription required -- bundled with a Sky Sports / Now TV / Virgin Sports pass (typically £25+/month).
Sky Sports Racing is broader than Racing TV (it covers UK + Ireland + Dubai + Hong Kong) but less deep on UK-specific Group races. The Dante Festival is best watched on Racing TV or ITVX for UK viewers; Sky Sports Racing is a useful backup if you're already a Sky Sports subscriber.
YouTube + Racing Post + Sporting Life (free, post-race)
ITV Racing's YouTube channel publishes the Dante Stakes race replay + jockey/trainer interviews within 30 minutes of the race. Free, no registration. Same for the Musidora and Yorkshire Cup if results are high-profile.
Racing Post (racingpost.com), Sporting Life (sportinglife.com) and At The Races (attheraces.com) all publish written race reports + free video replays within 60 minutes of each race.
Ireland (RTÉ + Racing TV via Sky Ireland)
RTÉ Sport sub-licences ITV's UK-flat coverage on a per-event basis. The 2026 Dante Stakes is on RTÉ Sport for Irish viewers -- check the RTÉ Player schedule for off-time. Racing TV is also available in Ireland via Sky Ireland and UPC.
Outside the UK / Ireland
FanDuel TV (formerly TVG) covers UK Group races for North American viewers. Sky Racing 1 in Australia covers UK + Irish flat racing. Asia: TBN / Asia Racing TV for Hong Kong and Singapore feeds.
For travel periods, a UK VPN service plus a free ITVX account is the cheapest path to ITV1 coverage (subject to that VPN's terms of service and ITVX's geo-policies; this isn't legal advice, just a practical note).
For the full schedule + off-times see our Dante Festival 2026 TV guide, and for the Dante Festival 2026 tips for the verdicts.
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